Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-23-14, OM, St. Rose of Lima

St. Rose of Lima

Feast Day: August 23
Born: 1586 :: Died: 1617

This South American saint was born in Lima, in Peru. Her real name was Isabel, but she was such a beautiful baby that she was affectionately called Rose.

As Rose grew older, she became more and more beautiful. One day her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose did not like that.

She only wanted Jesus to notice her and love her. Rose did not think she was special because of her beauty. She realized that beauty is a gift from God.

She even became afraid that her beauty might be a temptation to someone. She noticed people staring at her with approval. She heard them say that her complexion was smooth and beautiful.

So she did an unusual thing: she rubbed her face with pepper until her skin became all red and blistered so that people would not find her beautiful anymore.

St. Rose worked hard to support her parents who were very poor. She humbly obeyed them, too, except when they tried to get her to marry. That she would not do.

Her love for Jesus was so great that when she talked about him, her face glowed. Rose prayed that her parents would allow her to live for Jesus.

The devil often tried to tempt her and there were times when she had to suffer terrible loneliness and sadness. During those times, God seemed far away. Yet she cheerfully offered all these troubles to him. She kept praying for her trust to grow stronger.

In her last long, painful sickness, this brave young woman used to pray: "Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase your love in my heart." She was just thirty-one when she died on August 24, 1617, in Lima.

St. Rose is the patron saint of the Americas, Philippines and West Indies.

Matthew
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Matthew 23
1.	THEN Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,	Tunc Jesus locutus est ad turbas, et ad discipulos suos,	τοτε ο ιησους ελαλησεν τοις οχλοις και τοις μαθηταις αυτου
2.	Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.	dicens : Super cathedram Moysi sederunt scribæ et pharisæi.	λεγων επι της μωσεως καθεδρας εκαθισαν οι γραμματεις και οι φαρισαιοι
3.	All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not.	Omnia ergo quæcumque dixerint vobis, servate, et facite : secundum opera vero eorum nolite facere : dicunt enim, et non faciunt.	παντα ουν οσα εαν ειπωσιν υμιν τηρειν τηρειτε και ποιειτε κατα δε τα εργα αυτων μη ποιειτε λεγουσιν γαρ και ου ποιουσιν
4.	For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but with a finger of their own they will not move them.	Alligant enim onera gravia, et importabilia, et imponunt in humeros hominum : digito autem suo nolunt ea movere.	δεσμευουσιν γαρ φορτια βαρεα και δυσβαστακτα και επιτιθεασιν επι τους ωμους των ανθρωπων τω δε δακτυλω αυτων ου θελουσιν κινησαι αυτα
5.	And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes.	Omnia vero opera sua faciunt ut videantur ab hominibus : dilatant enim phylacteria sua, et magnificant fimbrias.	παντα δε τα εργα αυτων ποιουσιν προς το θεαθηναι τοις ανθρωποις πλατυνουσιν δε τα φυλακτηρια αυτων και μεγαλυνουσιν τα κρασπεδα των ιματιων αυτων
6.	And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues,	Amant autem primos recubitus in cœnis, et primas cathedras in synagogis,	φιλουσιν τε την πρωτοκλισιαν εν τοις δειπνοις και τας πρωτοκαθεδριας εν ταις συναγωγαις
7.	And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi.	et salutationes in foro, et vocari ab hominibus Rabbi.	και τους ασπασμους εν ταις αγοραις και καλεισθαι υπο των ανθρωπων ραββι ραββι
8.	But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren.	Vos autem nolite vocari Rabbi : unus est enim magister vester, omnes autem vos fratres estis.	υμεις δε μη κληθητε ραββι εις γαρ εστιν υμων ο καθηγητης ο χριστος παντες δε υμεις αδελφοι εστε
9.	And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.	Et patrem nolite vocare vobis super terram : unus est enim pater vester qui in cælis est.	και πατερα μη καλεσητε υμων επι της γης εις γαρ εστιν ο πατηρ υμων ο εν τοις ουρανοις
10.	Neither be ye called masters; for one is you master, Christ.	Nec vocemini magistri : quia magister vester unus est, Christus.	μηδε κληθητε καθηγηται εις γαρ υμων εστιν ο καθηγητης ο χριστος
11.	He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.	Qui major est vestrum, erit minister vester.	ο δε μειζων υμων εσται υμων διακονος
12.	And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.	Qui autem se exaltaverit, humiliabitur : et qui se humiliaverit, exaltabitur.	οστις δε υψωσει εαυτον ταπεινωθησεται και οστις ταπεινωσει εαυτον υψωθησεται

1. Then spoke Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2. Saying, The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3. All therefore whatever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not you after their works: for they say, and do not do.
4. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. When the Lord had overthrown the Priests by His answer, and shown their condition to be irremediable, forasmuch as clergy, when they do wickedly, cannot be amended, but laymen who have gone wrong are easily set right, He turns His discourse to His Apostles and the people. For that is an unprofitable word which silences one, without conveying improvement to another.

ORIGEN; The disciples of Christ are better than the common herd; and you may find in the Church such as with more ardent affection come to the word of God; these are Christ's disciples, the rest are only His people. And sometimes He speaks to His disciples alone, sometimes to the multitudes and His disciples together, as here. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat, as professing his Law, and boasting that they can interpret it. Those that do not depart from the letter of the Law are the Scribes; those who make high professions, and separate themselves from the vulgar as better than they, are called Pharisees, which signifies 'separate.' Those who understand and expound Moses according to his spiritual meaning, these sit indeed on Moses' seat, but are neither Scribes nor Pharisees, but better than either, Christ's beloved disciples. Since His coming these have sat upon the seat of the Church, which is the seat of Christ.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. But regard must be had to this, after what sort each man fills his seat; for not the seat makes the Priest, but the Priest the seat; the place does not consecrate the man, but the man the place. A wicked Priest derives guilt and not honor from his Priesthood.

CHRYS. But that none should say, For this cause am I slack to practice, because my instructor is evil, He removes every such plea, saying, All therefore whatever they say to you, that observe and do, for they speak not their own, but God's, which things He taught through Moses in the Law. And look with how great honor He speaks of Moses, showing again what harmony there is with the Old Testament.

ORIGEN; But if the Scribes and Pharisees who sit in Moses' seat are the teachers of the Jews, teaching the commandments of the Law according to the letter, how is this that the Lord bids us do after all things which they say; but the Apostles in the Acts forbid the believers to do according to the letter of the Law. These indeed taught after the letter, not understanding the Law spiritually. Whatsoever they say to us out of the Law, with understanding of its sense, that we do and keep, not doing after their works, for they do not what the law enjoins, nor perceive the veil that is upon the letter of the Law. Or by all we are not to understand every thing in the Law, many things for example relating to the sacrifices, and the like, but such as concern our conduct.

But why did He command this not of the Law of grace, but of the doctrine of Moses? Because truly it was not the time to publish the commandments of the New Law before the season of His passion. I think also that He had herein something further in view. He was about to bring many things against the Scribes and Pharisees in His discourse following, wherefore that vain men might not think that He coveted their place of authority, or spoke thus out of enmity to them, he first puts away from Himself this suspicion, and then begins to reprove them, that the people might not fall into their faults; and that, because they ought to hear them, they Should not think that therefore they ought to imitate them in the works, He adds, But do you not after their works. What can be more pitiable than such a teacher, whose life to imitate is ruin, to refuse to follow is salvation for his disciples?

PSEUDO-CHRYS. But as gold is picked out of the dross, and the dross is left, so hearers may take doctrine and leave practice, for good doctrine oft comes from an evil man. But as Priests judge it better to teach the bad for the sake of the good, rather than to neglect the good for the sake of the bad; so also let those who are set under them pay respect to the bad Priests for the sake of the good, that the good may not be despised because of the bad; for it is better to give bad what is not their due, rather than to defraud the good of what is justly theirs.

CHRYS. Look with what He begins His reproof of them, For they say, and do not. Every one who transgresses the Law is deserving of blame, but especially he who has the post of instruction. And this for a threefold cause; first, because he is a transgressor; secondly, because when he ought to set others right, he himself halts; thirdly, because, being in the rank of a teacher, his influence is more corrupting. Again, He brings a further charge against them, that they oppress those that are put under them; They bind heavy burdens; in this He shows a double evil in them; that they exacted without any allowance the utmost rigor of life from those that were put under them, while they allowed themselves large license herein. But a good ruler should do the contrary of this, to be to himself a severe judge, to others a merciful one. Observe in what forcible words He utters His reproof; He says not they cannot, but they will not; and not, lift them, but touch then with one of their fingers.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. And to the Scribes and Pharisees of whom He is now speaking, heavy burdens not to be borne are the commandments of the Law; as St. Peter speaks in the Acts, Why seek you to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? For commanding the burdens of the Law by fabulous proofs, they bound as it were the shoulders of the heart of their hearers with bands, that thus tied as though with proof of reason to them, they might not fling them off; but themselves did not in the least measure fulfill them, that is, not only did not wholly, but did not so much as attempt to.

GLOSS. Or, bind burdens, that is, gather traditions from all sides, not to aid, but to burden the con. science.

JEROME; But all these things, the shoulders, the finger, the burdens, and the bands with which they bind the burdens, have a spiritual meaning. Herein also the Lord speaks generally against all masters who enjoin high things, but do not even little things.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Such also are they who lay a heavy burden upon those who come to penitence, so that while men would avoid present punishment, they overlook that which is to come. For if you lay upon a boy's shoulders a burden more than he can bear, he must needs either cast it off, or be broken down by it; so the man on whom you lay too grievous a burden of penance must either wholly refuse it, or if he submit himself to it will find himself unable to bear it, and so be offended, and sin worse. Also, if we should be wrong in imposing too light a penance, is it not better to have to answer for mercy than for severity? Where the master of the household is liberal, the steward should not be oppressive. If God be kind, should His Priest be harsh? Do you seek thereby the character of sanctity? Be strict in ordering your own life, in that of others lenient; let men hear of you as enjoining little, and performing much. The Priest who gives license to himself, and exacts the utmost from others, is like a corrupt tax-gatherer in the state, who to ease himself taxes others heavily.

5. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6. And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7. And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8. But be not you called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ, and all you are brethren.
9. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10. Neither be you called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

CHRYS. The Lord had charged the Scribes and Pharisees with harshness and neglect; He now brings forward their vain-glory, which made them depart from God.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Every substance breeds in itself that which destroys it, as wood the worm, and garments the moth; so the Devil strives to corrupt the ministry of the Priests, who are ordained for the edification of holiness, endeavoring that this good, while it is done to be seen of men, should be turned into evil. Take away this fault from the clergy, and you will have no further labor in their reform, for of this it comes that a clergyman who has sinned can hardly perform penance. Also the Lord here points out the cause why they could not believe in Christ, because nearly all they did was in order to be seen of men; for he whose desire is for earthly glory from men, cannot believe on Christ who preaches things heavenly.

I have read one who interprets this place thus. In Moses' seat, that is, in the rank and degree instituted by Moses, the Scribes and Pharisees are seated unworthily, forasmuch as they preached to others the Law which foretold Christ's coming, but themselves did not receive Him when come. For this cause He exhorts the people to hear the Law which they preached, that is, to believe in Christ who was preached by the Law, but not to follow the Scribes and Pharisees in their disbelief of Him. And He shows the reason why they preached the coming of Christ out of the Law, yet did not believe on Him; namely, because they did not preach that Christ should come through any desire of His coming, but that they might be seen by men to be doctors of the Law.

ORIGEN; And their works likewise they do to be seen of men, using outward circumcision, taking away actual leaven out of their houses, and doing such like things. But Christ's disciples fulfill the Law in things secret, being Jews inwardly, as the Apostle speaks.

CHRYS. Note the intensive force of the words of His reproofs. He says not merely that they do their works to be seen of men, but added, all their works. And not only in great things but in some things trivial they were vainglorious, They make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments.

JEROME; For the Lord, when He had given the commandments of the Law through Moses, added at the end, And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be ever before your eyes; the meaning of which is, Let my precepts be in your hand so as to he fulfilled in your works; let them be before your eyes so as that you shall meditate upon them day and night. This the Pharisees misinterpreting, wrote on parchments the Decalogue of Moses, that is, the Ten Commandments, and folding them up, tied them on their forehead, so making them a crown for their head, that they should be always before their eyes.

Moses had in another place given command that they should make fringes of blue in the borders of their garments, to distinguish the people of Israel; that as in their bodies circumcision, so in their garments the fringe, might discriminate the Jewish nation. But these superstitious teachers, catching at popular favor, and making gain of silly women, made broad hems, and fastened them with sharp pins, that as they walked or sat they might be pricked, and by such monitors be recalled to the duties of God's ministry. This embroidery then of the Decalogue they called phylacteries, that is, conservatories, because those who wore them, wore them for their own protection and security. So little did the Pharisees understand that they were to be worn on the heart and not on the body; for in equal degree may cases and chests be said to have books, which assuredly have not the knowledge of God.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. But after their example do many invent Hebrew names of Angels, and write them, and bind them on themselves, and they seem dreadful to such as are without understanding. Others again wear round their neck a portion of the Gospel written out. But is not the Gospel read every day in the Church, and heard by all? Those therefore who receive no profit from the Gospel sounded in their ears, how shall the having them hung about their neck save them? Further, wherein is the virtue of the Gospel? in the shape of its letters, or in the understanding its meaning? If in the characters, you do well to hang them round your neck; if in their meaning, they are of more profit when laid up in the heart, than hung round the neck. But others explain this place thus, That they made broad their teachings concerning special observances, as phylacteries, or preservatives of salvation, preaching them continually to the people. And the broad fringes of their garments they explain of the same undue stress upon such commandments.

JEROME; Seeing they thus make broad their phylacteries, and make them broad fringes, desiring to have glory of men, they are convicted also in other things; For they love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues.

RABAN. It should be noted, that He does not forbid those to whom this belongs by right of rank to be saluted in the forum, or to sit or recline in the highest room; but those who unduly desire these things, whether they obtain them or not, these He enjoins the believers to shun as wicked.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. For He rebukes not those who recline in the highest place, but those who love such places, blaming the will not the deed. For to no purpose does he humble himself in place who exalts himself in heart. For some vain men hearing that it was a commendable thing to seat himself in the lowest place, chooses so to do; and thus not only does not put away the vanity of his heart, but adds this additional vain ostentation of his humility, as one who would be thought righteous and humble. For many proud men take the lowest place in their bodies, but in haughtiness of heart think themselves to be seated among the highest; and there are many humble men who, placed among the highest, are inwardly in their own esteem among the lowest.

CHRYS. Observe where vain glory governed them, to wit, in the synagogues, whither they entered to guide others. It had been tolerable to have felt thus at feasts, notwithstanding that a doctor ought to be had in honor in all places alike, and not in the Churches only. But if it be blameworthy to love such things, how wrong is it to seek to attain them?

PSEUDO-CHRYS. They love the first salutations, first, that is, not in time only, before others; but in tone, that we should say with a loud voice, Hail, Rabbi and in body that we should bow low our head; and in place, that the salutation should be in public.

RABAN. And herein they are not without fault, that the same men should be concerned in the litigations of the forum, who in the synagogue in Moses' seat, seek to be called Rabbi by men.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. That is, they wish to be called, not to be such; they desire the name, and neglect the duties.

ORIGEN; And in the Church of Christ are found some who take to them selves the uppermost places, that is, become deacons; next they aspire to the chief seats of those that are called presbyters; and some intrigue to be styled among men Bishop, that is, to be called Rabbi. But Christ's disciple loves the uppermost place indeed, but at the spiritual banquet, where he may feed on the choicer morsels of spiritual food, for, with the Apostles who sit upon twelve thrones, he loves the chief seats, and hastens by his good works to render himself worthy of such seats; and he also loves salutations made in the heavenly market-place, that is, in the heavenly congregations of the primitive. But the righteous man would be called Rabbi, neither by man, nor by any other, because there is One Master of all men.

CHRYS. Or otherwise, Of the foregoing things with which He had charged the Pharisees, He now passes over many as of no weight, and such as His disciples needed not to be instructed in; but that which was the cause of all evils, namely, ambition of the master's seat, that He insists upon to instruct His disciples..

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Be not you called Rabbi, that you take not to yourselves what belongs to God. And call not others Rabbi, that you pay not to men a divine honor. For One is the Master of all, who instructs all men by nature. For if man were taught by man, all men would learn that have teachers; but seeing it is not man that teaches, but God, many are taught, but few learn. Man cannot by teaching impart an understanding to man, but that under standing which is given by God man calls forth by schooling

HILARY; And that the disciples may ever remember that they are the children of one parent, and that by their new birth they have passed the limits of their earthly origin.

JEROME; All men may be called brethren in affection, which is of two kinds, general and particular. Particular, by which all Christians are brethren; general, by which all men being born of one Father are bound together by like tie of kindred.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. And call no man your Father upon earth; because in this world though man begets man, yet there is one Father who created all men. For we have not beginning of life from our parents, but we have our life transmitted through them.

ORIGEN; But who calls no man father upon earth? He who in every action done as before God, says, Our Father, which art in Heaven.

GLOSS. Because it was clear who was the Father of all, by this which was said, Which art in Heaven, He would teach them who was the Master of all, and therefore repeats the same command concerning a master, Neither be you called masters; for one is your Master, even Christ.

CHRYS. Not that at when Christ is here said to be our Master, the Father is excluded, as neither when God is said to be our Father, is Christ excluded, Who is the Father of men.

JEROME; It is a difficulty that the Apostle against this command calls himself the teacher of the Gentiles; and that in monasteries in their common conversation, they call one another, Father. It is to be cleared thus. It is one thing to be father or master by nature, another by sufferance. Thus when we call any man our father, we do it to show respect to his age, not as regarding him as the author of our being. We also call men 'Master,' from resemblance to a real master; and, not to use tedious repetition, as the One God and One Son, who are by nature, do not preclude us from calling others gods and sons by adoption, so the One Father and One Master, do not preclude us from speaking of other fathers and masters by an abuse of the terms.

CHRYS Not only does the Lord forbid us to seek supremacy, but would lead His hearer to the very opposite; He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

ORIGEN; Or otherwise; And if one minister the divine word, knowing that it is Christ that makes it to be fruitful, such a one professes himself a minister and not a master; whence it follows, He that is greatest among you, let him be your servant. As Christ Himself, who was in truth our Master, professed Himself a minister, saying, I am in the midst of you as one that ministers. And well does He conclude this prohibition of all vain-glory with the words, And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

REMIG. Which means that every one who thinks highly of his own deserts, shall be humbled before God; and every one who humbles himself concerning his good deeds, shall be exalted with God.

Catena Aurea Matthew 23

Crucifixion

Guido da siena

1270s
Tempera on wood
Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena

Crucifixion with the Virgin and St John the Evangelist

Monaco Lorenzo

1400-05
Tempera on panel, 85 x 37 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, August 23

Liturgical Color: Green

Today is the optional memorial of St.
Rose of Lima, virgin. She was the first
saint born in the Americas and showed
great devotion to St. Catherine of Siena.
Like St. Catherine, she bore the pain of
the stigmata. St. Rose died in 1617.

Christ at the Column (detail)

15th century

Stone
Church of St Nizier, Troye, France

Day 254 - What's the significance of the sexual encounter in marriage? // What is the significance of the child in a marriage?

What significance does the sexual encounter have within marriage?

According to God's will, husband and wife should encounter each other in bodily union so as to be united ever more deeply with one another in love and to allow children to proceed from their love. In Christianity, the body, pleasure, and erotic joy enjoy a high status: "Christianity ... believes that matter is good, that God Himself once took on a human body, that some kind of body is going to be given to us even in Heaven and is going to be an essential part of our happiness, our beauty and our energy. Christianity has glorified marriage more than any other religion: and nearly all the greatest love poetry in the world has been produced by Christians. If anyone says that sex, in itself, is bad, Christianity contradicts him at once" (C. S. Lewis). Pleasure, of course, is not an end in itself. When the pleasure of a couple becomes self-enclosed and is not open to the new life that could result from it, it no longer corresponds to the nature of love.

What is the significance of the child in a marriage?

A child is a creature and a gift of God, which comes to earth through the love of his parents. True love does not desire a couple to be self-contained. Love opens up in the child. A child that has been conceived and born is not something "made", nor is he the sum of his paternal and maternal genes. He is a completely new and unique creature of God, equipped with his own soul. The child therefore does not belong to the parents and is not their property. (YOUCAT questions 417-418)

Dig Deeper: CCC section (2362-2367) and other references here.

Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)

Section 2: The Ten Commandments (2052 - 2557)

Chapter 2: You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself (2196 - 2557)

Article 6: The Sixth Commandment (2331 - 2400)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Love one another even as I have loved you."¹ ⇡

You shall not commit adultery.¹¹³

You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery." But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.¹¹⁴ ⇡

III. THE LOVE OF HUSBAND AND WIFE ⇡

2362

"The acts in marriage by which the intimate and chaste union of the spouses takes place are noble and honorable; the truly human performance of these acts fosters the self-giving they signify and enriches the spouses in joy and gratitude."¹⁴⁵ Sexuality is a source of joy and pleasure: The Creator himself ... established that in the [generative] function, spouses should experience pleasure and enjoyment of body and spirit. Therefore, the spouses do nothing evil in seeking this pleasure and enjoyment. They accept what the Creator has intended for them. At the same time, spouses should know how to keep themselves within the limits of just moderation.¹⁴⁶

1.

Jn 13:34.

113.

Ex 20:14; Deut 5:18.

114.

Mt 5:27-28.

145.

GS 49 § 2.

146.

Pius XII, Discourse, October 29, 1951.

2363

The spouses' union achieves the twofold end of marriage: the good of the spouses themselves and the transmission of life. These two meanings or values of marriage cannot be separated without altering the couple's spiritual life and compromising the goods of marriage and the future of the family.

The conjugal love of man and woman thus stands under the twofold obligation of fidelity and fecundity.

Conjugal fidelity ⇡

1603
1615
1646-1648
(all)

2364

The married couple forms "the intimate partnership of life and love established by the Creator and governed by his laws; it is rooted in the conjugal covenant, that is, in their irrevocable personal consent."¹⁴⁷ Both give themselves definitively and totally to one another. They are no longer two; from now on they form one flesh. The covenant they freely contracted imposes on the spouses the obligation to preserve it as unique and indissoluble.¹⁴⁸ "What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."¹⁴⁹

147.

GS 48 § 1.

148.

Cf. CIC, can. 1056.

149.

Mk 10:9; cf. Mt 19:1-12; 1 Cor 7:10-11.

1640
(all)

2365

Fidelity expresses constancy in keeping one's given word. God is faithful. The Sacrament of Matrimony enables man and woman to enter into Christ's fidelity for his Church. Through conjugal chastity, they bear witness to this mystery before the world. St. John Chrysostom suggests that young husbands should say to their wives: I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you in such a way that we may be assured of not being separated in the life reserved for us. ... I place your love above all things, and nothing would be more bitter or painful to me than to be of a different mind than you.¹⁵⁰

150.

St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in Eph. 20,8:PG 62,146-147.

The fecundity of marriage ⇡

1652
1653
(all)

2366

Fecundity is a gift, an end of marriage, for conjugal love naturally tends to be fruitful. A child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment. So the Church, which is "on the side of life,"¹⁵¹ teaches that "it is necessary that each and every marriage act remain ordered per se to the procreation of human life."¹⁵² "This particular doctrine, expounded on numerous occasions by the Magisterium, is based on the inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage act."¹⁵³

151.

FC 30.

152.

HV 11.

153.

HV 12; cf. Pius XI, encyclical, Casti connubii.

2205
(all)

2367

Called to give life, spouses share in the creative power and fatherhood of God.¹⁵⁴ "Married couples should regard it as their proper mission to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator and are, in a certain sense, its interpreters. They will fulfill this duty with a sense of human and Christian responsibility."¹⁵⁵

154.

Cf. Eph 3:14; Mt 23:9.

155.

GS 50 § 2.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for:August 23, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, you set Saint Rose of Lima on fire with your love, so that, secluded from the world in the austerity of a life of penance, she might give herself to you alone; grant, we pray, that through her intercession, we may tread the paths of life on earth and drink at the stream of your delights in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o Arroz con Leche

ACTIVITIES

o Elementary Parent Pedagogy: Teaching Purity at the Elementary Age

PRAYERS

o Prayer Before a Crucifix

o The Immaculate Heart

· Ordinary Time: August 23rd

· Optional Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, virgin

Old Calendar: St. Philip Benize, confessor

The first canonized saint of the Western Hemisphere, Rose of Lima (1586-1617) might also be considered a type of the special vocation of contemplative-in-the-world. Inspired by the example of St. Catherine of Siena, Rose became a Dominican lay tertiary and devoted herself to works of active charity while living a life of extreme austerity. She longed to evangelize the Indians, not at all discouraged by the thought that they would probably kill her. St. Martin de Porres and St. John Masias were among her friends. She died at the age of 31, praying, "Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase your love in my heart."

Before the reform of the General Roman Calendar St. Rose's feast was celebrated on August 30. Today was the feast of St. Philip Benize, who was born in Florence of the noble Benizi family on the feast of the Assumption, and died on the octave of the Assumption in Todi, Italy. A man of unusual ability, he took a medical course in Padua, and practiced medicine in Florence. But the medical profession left him dissatisfied, and he joined the Servite Order as a lay brother, performing the most humble tasks in the monastery. Ordained a priest out of obedience, he became master of novices and finally general of the Order. He restored peace in the civil wars of Italy, and assisted at the Ecumenical Council of Lyons. Amid all these honors, he lived a life of great humility always considering himself as the worst of sinners and deserving the punishment of hell.

St. Rose of Lima
Rose of Lima, a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic, was the "first blossom of sanctity that South America gave to the world." Hers was a life heroic in virtue and penance. She expiated the evils perpetrated by the conquerors of the land in their lust for gold. For many her life was a silent sermon of penance. Pope Clement X stated in the bull of canonization: "Since the discovery of Peru no missionary has arisen who effected a similar popular zeal for the practice of penance."

Already as a five-year-old child (born 1586), Rose vowed her innocence to God. While still a young girl, she practiced mortifications and fasts that exceeded ordinary discretion; during all of Lent she ate no bread, but subsisted on five citron seeds a day. In addition, she suffered repeated attacks from the devil, painful bodily ailments, and from her family, scoldings and calumnies. All this she accepted serenely, remarking that she was treated better than she deserved. For fifteen years she patiently endured the severest spiritual abandonment and aridity. In reward came heavenly joys, the comforting companionship of her holy guardian angel and of the Blessed Virgin. August 24, 1617, proved to be the day "on which the paradise of her heavenly Bridegroom unlocked itself to her."

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Against vanity; Americas; Central America; embroiderers; florists; gardeners; India; Latin America; needle workers; New World; people ridiculed for their piety; Peru; Phillipines; diocese of Santa Rosa, California; South America; vanity; Villareal Samar, Phillipines; West Indies.

Symbols: Crown of roses and thorns; needle and thimble; spiked crown; iron chain; Anchor Holy Infant; roses.
Often Portrayed As: Dominican tertiary holding roses; Dominican tertiary accompanied by the Holy Infant.

Things to Do:

Read more about St. Rose of Lima.
If geography interests you, here is a place to learn about Peru or learn more about Lima and the Santa Rosa de Lima Festivals.
If you might be interested in becoming a lay member of the Dominican Order you can find out more at this Dominican Third Order website.

St. Philip Benize (or Benozzi)
St. Philip had special talents for leadership and organization; he was the second founder of the Servites and a great missioner. Of him the Breviary says: "His love and sympathetic consideration for the poor was truly remarkable. On one occasion he gave his own clothing to a destitute leper at Camiliano, a village near Siena, and immediately the poor, sick beggar was healed. The report of the miracle spread far and wide, and many of the cardinals who had assembled at Viterbo after the death of Clement IV (1268) for the election of Christendom's chief shepherd were minded to choose Philip, whose angelic life and mature wisdom were universally acknowledged. But as soon as the saint became aware of this, he went into hiding upon a hill until Gregory X (1271-1276) had been elected; for he sought to be spared that burdensome dignity."

Philip died at Todi in Tuscany. During his last hours he requested the attending Brother to bring him his book. The Brother did not understand what he meant. "The crucifix," the saint added. That was the book the saint had studied all the days of his life.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: Sergio Osmena, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines.

Symbols: Chariot; olive branch; red robes; surgical instruments; two angels holding three crowns.

Things to Do:

In the former Collect for St. Philip, the Church focused attention upon humility as our saint's most noteworthy virtue: "In the life of St. Philip You have provided for us a splendid example of humility." The manual from which he learned this virtue was the Crucifix. Say the Prayer Before A Crucifix and spend a little time meditating on Our Lord's humility.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Ezekiel 43:1-7

Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin

The glory of the Lord entered the temple. (Ezekiel 43:4)

Israel was in exile, Jerusalem was in ruins, and the glory of the Lord—his divine presence and protection—had left the Temple. For thirty years the people had been vassals of the Babylonians, cut off from God and weighed down by guilt.

Ezekiel had seen all this in an earlier vision, just as he had seen the glory of the Lord leaving the Temple by the east gate (Ezekiel 10:1-19). But Ezekiel also saw something else: “the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east … [and it] entered the temple” (43:2, 4). Just as God’s presence had left the Temple, it would return—and with it came a marvelous promise: “This is where my throne shall be … here I will dwell … forever” (43:7).

The promise in Ezekiel’s vision is not limited to a literal throne in a physical temple on a specific plot of land. Even as Ezekiel’s words gave hope to the Israelites living in a harsh exile, they also pointed to the day when the kingdom of God would come on earth. The promise extends through space and time to reach all of us today. Because of Jesus’ cross and resurrection, God’s resting place is with his people—wherever they are, and whenever they are! His glory dwells in us, both as a body and as individuals (2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19).

In Christ and through his indwelling Spirit, God has returned to his temple. He didn’t abandon his people forever, nor was his heart ever far from them. As the Israelites began to long for him, he answered them with his presence. The same is true for us today. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. He will never abandon you. Even if you have sinned awfully and feel you have lost the grace of his presence, he is waiting to return at the first word of repentance. He longs to come in glory into each of our hearts. And his glory—his very life at the core of our lives—has the power to expel idolatry, adultery, and defilement of every kind. Oh, ask him in!

“God, come into my life today! Forgive me, and banish from me everything that does not exalt you. Fill me, and make me into your resting place.”

Psalm 85:9-14; Matthew 23:1-12

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for August 23, 2014:

(Reader’s Tip) Take a moment each day to say how much you love your spouse. Thank them for what they do for the family, or just say that you miss them when you’re apart.

Regnum Christi

Be a Christian, Don’t Just Seem Like One

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

August 23, 2014. Saturday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 23: 1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people´s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ´Rabbi.´ As for you, do not be called ´Rabbi.´ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ´Master´; you have but one master, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Introductory Prayer: Dear Lord, I believe in you because you became man in order to reveal the Father’s love and the way your followers should live. I hope in you because you have promised to be with us until the end of time. I love you because you died in order to give me life.

Petition: Lord, help me to grow in my Christian identity and commitment.

1. Practice What You Preach: The world needs witnesses more than it needs teachers. It’s easy to remind others how things should be done; it is much harder to give witness of an authentic Christian life. One thing is content, and the other is personal example. When someone tells us the truth, we should accept it – even if that person doesn’t live the truth he preaches. Our following the truth should not depend on whether or not others live it. And, if we find ourselves in a position in which we have the responsibility of preaching or teaching catechism, we should sincerely try to live up to the doctrine that we preach, which is not ours but God’s.

2. Being Christian: In his epistle to the Romans, St. Ignatius of Antioch stated the importance of truly being Christian, not just being called one: “Only request in my behalf both inward and outward strength, that I may not only speak, but truly will; and that I may not merely be called a Christian, but really found to be one. For if I be truly found a Christian, I may also be called one, and be deemed faithful.” Christianity does not consist in living our faith in an external or merely formal way, as the Pharisees lived their religion, but in loving God to the point of showing that love in our personal and public behavior. We should avoid in our behavior that which we deplore in others. To be truly Christian, it is necessary to strive to think, want, desire and love as Jesus did.

3. Being Humble: It’s all a matter of being humble. Once, St. Bernard of Clairvaux compared the proud man to the top of a snow-capped mountain at the beginning of spring and the humble man to the valley below. The melting snow, which is God’s grace, cannot flow upwards to the proud man: Through his attitude (he thinks he is at God’s level), he has put himself in a position in which he is incapable of receiving God’s grace. On the other hand, the humble man, since he is at the bottom of the mountain, fully receives the water of God’s grace, and therefore he can bear abundant fruit. Only the humble man can be truly in contact with God and let God’s grace work miracles in his life.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me to value my Christian identity. I know that to live in a Christian way does not come naturally to anyone. It can come only with your light and grace. Give me the grace to contemplate you more deeply, so that you can be the standard for my actions and reactions.

Resolution: I will give true Christian witness at home, at school or at work.

By Father José LaBoy, LC

Homily of the Day

August 23, 2014

Do the words that we say conform to the way we act and the way we live? Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for being hypocrites for they know all the teachings and memorize all the biblical verses, but they don’t do what they believe in. Faith without action is dead. These teachers need to walk the talk. Jesus pointed out that knowledge of religion is not the most important thing, but rather it’s the act of love. The whole point of being a Christian is to love God and to love others. Without that, we’re nothing. We need to reach out to others than just be content in our comfortable positions.

Jesus also points out the importance of humility and forgiveness. Even if he was called master by his apostles, he did not want to be served by them. He came to serve as shown when he washed the feet of his apostles during the last supper. He told them to do as he was doing to them. Then he suffered mockery under Pontius Pilate but remained meek and humble. He was crucified like a criminal, but he forgave his enemies. He did all this to save from our sinfulness. We should learn from Jesus’ servant leadership. “Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.”

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saturday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Isaac the Syrian (7th century), monk near Mosul, saint of the Orthodox churches
Ascetical discourses, 1st series, no. 34

"Whoever humbles himself will be exalted"

Anyone who acknowledges his own sins… is greater than one who raises the dead by his prayer. Anyone who mourns over the state of his soul for an hour is greater than one who embraces the world in contemplation. Anyone to whom it has been given to see the truth about himself is greater than one to whom it has been given to see angels.